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Minister of National Defence

Hon. Bill Blair

  • Member of Parliament
  • Minister of National Defence
  • Liberal
  • Scarborough Southwest
  • Ontario
  • Voting Attendance: 66%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $115,019.32

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 121 - Oct/31/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/31/22 2:44:24 p.m.
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On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I have risen in the House a number of times and simply repeated the truth to the members. I am not going to speculate on a conversation of which I was not a party. I can simply advise the House that at no time did I direct, ask or even suggest to the commissioner of the RCMP that she should release any information pertaining to this investigation. Under oath before the Mass Casualty Commission, the commissioner has confirmed that she was not directed by me or any government official on the release of information or in the conduct of the investigation. Those are simply the facts.
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Context: House Hansard - 121 - Oct/31/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/31/22 2:43:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times in the House, the independence of police operations is a key principle in our democracy. It is one that our government respects. I would like to remind the House that, in May of 2020, the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes rose in the House and demanded to know why the government was not releasing information on search warrants, production orders and closed warrants related to the Nova Scotia massacre. At that time, I was forced to rise in the House to explain to that Conservative member, as I did to all members, that our government does not interfere with ongoing criminal investigations, and the RCMP is responsible for the information that he sought.
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Context: House Hansard - 121 - Oct/31/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/31/22 2:41:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is a very significant problem with the member's theory, which is based entirely on speculation, innuendo and conjecture. He ignores the facts, and here are the facts. At no time did I or the government attempt to interfere in police operations. I did not direct, ask or even suggest to the commissioner that she release that information and the commissioner herself has testified under oath, “I did not receive direction and I was not influenced by government officials regarding the public release of information”. Those are simply the facts.
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Context: House Hansard - 120 - Oct/28/22
Hon. Bill Blair
  • Oct/28/22 12:00:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite apparent that the members opposite are afraid of the truth, because it contradicts both their speculation and innuendoes. I have been clear in this House that at no time did I ever interfere with the conduct and operations of the RCMP. This has been confirmed by sworn testimony from the RCMP commissioner. The truth is that this interference never took place. It is a principle that we have always respected and always guarded. It is a—
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Context: House Hansard - 120 - Oct/28/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/28/22 12:00:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think the weakness of the member opposite's argument is solely based on the fact that virtually everything he said is based on conjecture and innuendoes. There are no facts that contradict the statements I have made to this House. I have confirmed this— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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Context: House Hansard - 120 - Oct/28/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/28/22 11:59:20 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in this House, speculation, conjecture and innuendoes are not facts. Only facts are fact. That is perhaps why the member opposite has omitted the fact that, for example, when the commissioner asked Commissioner Carrique if I had been in contact with him, he answered no. That is a fact. Here is another one for the benefit of all members: I never did.
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Context: House Hansard - 119 - Oct/27/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/27/22 2:44:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, neither I nor my office communicated with Mr. Brien about any aspect of this matter. I have absolutely no knowledge about that except what I have read in the papers.
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Context: House Hansard - 119 - Oct/27/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/27/22 2:43:53 p.m.
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No, Mr. Speaker.
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Context: House Hansard - 119 - Oct/27/22
Hon. Bill Blair
  • Oct/27/22 2:42:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, the member's assertion on this matter is completely incorrect. It is not surprising that the members opposite do not actually want to hear the facts, but here they are. At no time did I or any member of our government attempt to interfere in police operations. To be very explicit and clear with words I hope the member might understand, I did not direct, I did not ask and I did not suggest to the RCMP commissioner to release information. When she testified under oath before the Mass Casualty Commission, she said, “I did not receive direction and I was not influenced by government—
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Context: House Hansard - 119 - Oct/27/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/27/22 2:42:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite's assertions are completely incorrect. The independence of police operations is a key principle in our democracy. It is one that our government deeply respects, one that I have always respected and one that I have always vigorously defended—
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Context: House Hansard - 117 - Oct/25/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/25/22 2:47:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, what is very clear is that the RCMP commissioner, in her testimony before the public safety committee and in front of the Mass Casualty Commission under oath, was very clear that there was no interference, and that I did not give her direction. In fact, she did clarify for the committee that I have always been meticulously careful in not providing her with direction. That is her testimony. My statement to the House and my testimony previously is that I did not give her any direction on any operational matter.
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Context: House Hansard - 117 - Oct/25/22
Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Oct/25/22 2:45:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is free to engage in any speculation and even fabrication that she wishes, although I would suggest that she might be somewhat more circumspect when she steps out of the House and makes such spurious allegations. Let me repeat: I did not direct the commissioner of the RCMP in any operational matter. The commissioner has confirmed that in her testimony before committee and under oath before the Mass Casualty Commission. The matter is settled.
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